New ministry program gets feet wet in J’ville

Homepage

Related Photos

Thrift store assistant manager, Crystal Alvarez, (left) helped Jacksonville resident Laura Varela (right) look for a shirt on Friday. Progress photos by Faith Harper

Discussion

July 30, 2012

New ministry program gets feet wet in J’ville

Faith Harper Special to the Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Mon Jul 30, 2012, 01:41 PM CDT

JACKSONVILLE — The Fig Leaf has changed is name and location and expanded the scope of its ministry.

The Fig Leaf, formally located on Larissa Street, sold used clothing and provided clothes to those in need. David Butler, Senior Pastor of the People's Church in Jacksonville and director of The Mission, said the the name was symbolic of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but with the expanding services offered by the ministry, the church changed its name to The Mission, a Faith Based Ministry. It is located at 209 S. Patton St.

The building is about five times the size of the Fig Leaf, and the services it provides has expanded to include a food pantry, faith-based counseling and a thrift store, which sells clothing, knick-kacks, shoes, furniture and more.

The thrift store will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store also has a full-time bilingual assistant manager to assist native Spanish speakers.

Donations can be accepted during regular business hours or left at the door after hours. Butler said it has 501 C (3) tax status and can provide receipts for donations.

A large, Alamo-style donation box is under construction and should be out next week for the after hours donations. The facility also contains a small carpentry workshop so furniture that is broken can be fixed before it is sold.

The Mission has showers for the homeless to use, but is looking for a washer and dryer so they can provide a clean set of clothes afterwards.

Butler said the ministry does not want to interfere with other nonprofits in town, but rather wants the project to involve the entire community.

“The need is too great for any single church or organization to handle, so we must all work together,” he said.

“I believe we compliment each other and work together,” Butler said. “Love God first then love each other.”

Butler said leftover food from the pantry would go to HOPE and said he has visited with the Clothes Closet and The Crisis Center.

Donald Hammock, executive director for the Crisis Center of Anderson and Cherokee Counties, said the center's mission is to help victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

“They will have people over there that are homeless and one of the reasons they may be homeless is because of family violence,” he said. “They would qualify for our services, to put them in safe house and help them through different resources we have to get them back on their feet.”

Hammock said the center also raises money for its services through its thrift store Second Glance, but in a small community, the need to work together is strong.

“We are in an area where there are limited resources and much need,” he said. “We all have to collaborate together in order to help the people in our community because that is the main goal.”

The church also plans to house a veteran ministry in the building.

Julianne Sanford, with the Lone Star Military Resource Group and ACCESS, said the site could host peer-to-peer counseling groups, which would help veterans discuss and cope with a variety of issues. She said J.D Collett, with the Andrews Center in Tyler is a certified peer-to-peer counselor trainer and would train anyone interested on how to conduct the group sessions.

“You don't have to have major problems to come to a group, you might just want to be with comrades and want to be near people who share your culture,” Sanford said.

Sanford said she is working to get computers for the veteran room as well, so they can have a place with the resources to look and apply for jobs.

A phone line for The Mission will be set up on Tuesday. Butler said anyone with large donations or who wants to get involved in the project can call the ministry. Its new number will be 903-586-2911.

So far, Butler said the the response and support from the community has been wonderful.

“I'm really excited,” he said. “It's going to keep getting better and better.”

Text Only

Homepage

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

New ministry program gets feet wet in J’ville

Site Map

Contact Us